Bill, Tom And the Krafts According to ESPN

 I like to post the few ESPN.com articles here by their writers about the New England Patriots, for my record ;)

It was the Patriot Way, Until It Wasn't 

Bill Belichick's Patriots legacy" The nfl' s greatest dynasty 

For Kraft, Brady and Belichick, is this the beginning of the end?

Spygate to Deflategate: Inside what split the NFL and Patriots apart

one of the stories

in the end , it is all about human emotions and feelings.

Post Super Bowl LI Thoughts

To understand the context of this writing, you might want to read this post first.

I did not follow the game on tv. I followed it using twitter and yahoo sport boxscore. And I was working at my fulltime job. But, when you are a football nut, well.. it is easier to imagine and imagination is better than the real thing :P

I was pleasantly surprised about the first half, when the Falcons raced to a 21-3 lead at half-time. As I read it, the Falcons D played exactly how I thought they would. They have a fast defense, so straight up they gave the Pats O a hard time. However, Bill and his team are one of the best, if not the best, at making half-time adjustments. It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is always in the second half when the truth would appear.

As the comeback began in the second half, I kept thinking about how the Falcons would respond, And to a certain extent, at critical moments, brain freeze happens, affecting the coaches and players. The Pats do that to you. Like I said to a bunch of friends during half-time, mental strength is one thing they have over opponents, especially when no 12 is playing in the zone.

A disclaimer: My feelings about the Pats success are like my previous posts. I have read extensively about them, especially Bill n Brady. For me, Spygate will continue be an asterisk on the Pats and to a lesser degree, Bill and Brady. Deflategate, in my opinion, is miniscule, but for me, it was as if Goodell was atoning for how Spygate was handled. But, overall, credit to both of them, as their partnership brings successto the Pats, and I do not think any Pats fans will disagree, It's like Joe Cool and Bill Walsh, but better.

Ok, continue.

Some of the writers said that the Falcons committed the big mistake in play-calling, after the major Julio Jones catch. I agree and again, this highlights the difference that the Pats have over their opponents, when pressure is on, they keep it simple, as simplicity makes handling pressure easier. It is similar to Darrell Bevell's call 2 Superbowls ago... u had a short distance to win the game, you could have run it in with the Beast, yet you chose to pass ... in this case, 3 simple runs would have eaten up the clock ...

The moment it went to OT, and the Pats won the toss, I knew it was game over. It makes a difference when the leaders at the helm, are Belichik and Brady.


I feel for the players of Atlanta. Make no major excuse, this was a MAJOR choke, and the fingers, open and hidden will be all over. How they rebound after this ... am not really sure... as they will be losing their OC Kyle Shanahan to the Niners as head coach (it's a given).

For the Pats, well, cannot say that much more what have been said. This is the crowning glory for the franchise, and they deserve to win it. I can bitch a bit more about here and there, but fair play, they WON, and winning's winning. Will there be more Super Bowls in the future? As long as Bill n TB12 are together, I would not rule it out.

So, congratulations New England Patriots on their Super Bowl LI win :)

AFC and NFC Championship Predictions

Well, it is finally here ... the division championship weekend .. about time too ....

AFC Championship

Patriots vs Steelers, at New England

I am saying that it will be a close game. I don't think the Pats have met an offense like Pittsburgh .. the 3 Bs (Ben, Bell, Brown). Like many people, I am intrigued how the Pats will handle the Pittsburgh running game. The running game is bread and butter of Steeler offense, as it gets the rest of the offense working. The good thing for the Steelers is Bell is relatively fresh, so he will hit the ground running. The Pats D is a bit of a 'bend not break' defense, who do crucial things at the right moments of a game. The Pats d-line need to stand up to the Steelers o-line a bit. On the other side, the key to the Pats O is No 12 himself, Tom Brady. He makes that offense run. That is why the key for the Steelers D is to get physical with him from the whistle itself. As he gets older,  I do notice that he, at times, he will try to get the calls.

ok, my prediction ... Steelers win by 3 in a close game

NFC Championship

Falcons vs Packers, at Atlanta

Many are saying that this game could be a high scoring game, with the score in the 30s. With explosive offences, that maybe so.
Matt Ryan is playing at MVP like standards to a point he is among in contention to be this season's MVP. His array of weapons are wide - from RB twins Freeman & Coleman, WR Julio Jones and TE Austin Hooper. Credit has to be given to the OC (Kyle Shanahan) who has really utilized this group of players
What can one say about Aaron Rodgers for the past 8 games? Unbelievable. The win vs the Boys solidified him as the hottest QB right now. When GB was at 4-6, I thought his season was nearly over, but credit to the coach McCarthy and his team, making the adjustments, and Aaron looks good again. His supporting cast have also been good in supporting him, even though Jordy Nelson is still a bit injured.
For me the key to this game is which D plays its best game on this day, given the explosive offences of both teams.

My prediction .... Atlanta by 7.

Three Playoff Success Pointers

After watching the latest round of playoff games, I think I should give my pointers on success in the playoffs.

Point One

A good offensive line is a must to last a long while in the playoffs.

Case in point, the seahawks .. Lucky to have Russell Wilson able to make plays while scrambling all over. The Hawks better do something about that line.

Point Two

You need a quarterback to at at least  manage the game, and put the team in a good spot to win games. Cerebral is quite underrated as a trait for a playoff winning qb.

Example-Trent Dilfer. How he has a ring still mystifies me :) I bet he thanks the Ravens D that they had, on every Thanksgiving. And Jamal Lewis.

Point Three

What worked in getting a team into the playoffs will probably still work, but be prepared for wrinkles.

Example- The Pats loss in the 18-1 season, in the super bowl. I think they underestimated the strength of the Giants D especially the d-line. They didn't give Brady enough protection and that led him to being punished quite a bit. Watching the game when Brady attempted the Pats futile final drive, I could see he was fearful of getting sacked.